Camponotus senex is a fairly common species of weaver ant from the New World. They are opportunistic cavity-dwellers, semi-nomadic carpenter ants which are found around grasslands in Central and South America.[1][2] It is taxonomically believed to be a complex of cryptic species and was previously considered synonymous with Camponotus textor which once included a distantly-related species of weaver-ant.[3]
| Camponotus senex | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Subgenus: | Myrmobrachys |
| Species: | C. senex
|
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus senex Smith, 1858
| |
Ecology
editC. senex are medium-sized and agile, and can be frequently found inside the abandoned outer crusts of termite nests. They can inflict a respectable bite when handled carelessly. They are, however, not aggressive, and their nests tend to be sparse and mainly composed of satellite, queenless temporary nests under stones or bark.[2] Very little is known about their biology as C. senex remains a poorly studied species, in spite of being so common.[3]
The development of C. senex undergoes four larval instars. The larvae are typical Camponotus larvae: plump and hairy larvae that will spin a cocoon. They contain anchor-tipped dorsal hairs when mature, which may signals for a morphological adaptation to be hung inside the ant nest. They are the only ants apart from fire ants to present solenopsin alkaloids in their venom.[3]
References
edit- ^ Morini, Maria Santina de Castro; Silva, Otávio Guilherme Morais da; Souza-Campana, Débora Rodrigues de; Silva, Rogério R.; Fernandes, Tae Tanaami; Morini, Maria Santina de Castro; Silva, Otávio Guilherme Morais da; Souza-Campana, Débora Rodrigues de; Silva, Rogério R. (2019). "Winged ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) presence in twigs on the leaf litter of Atlantic Forest". Biota Neotropica. 19 (3). doi:10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0694. ISSN 1676-0603.
- ^ a b Fernandes, Tae Tanaami; Silva, Rogério Rosa da; Souza, Débora Rodrigues de; Araújo, Natália; Morini, Maria Santina de Castro (2012). "Undecomposed Twigs in the Leaf Litter as Nest-Building Resources for Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Areas of the Atlantic Forest in the Southeastern Region of Brazil". Psyche: A Journal of Entomology. 2012: 1–8. doi:10.1155/2012/896473. ISSN 0033-2615.
- ^ a b c Fox, Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson; Solis, Daniel Russ; Lazoski, Cristiano; Mackay, William (2017-08-01). "Weaving through a cryptic species: Comparing the Neotropical ants Camponotus senex and Camponotus textor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Micron. 99: 56–66. doi:10.1016/j.micron.2017.03.016. hdl:11449/162839. ISSN 0968-4328.